Cardiovascular disease is not just killing humans. Progressive heart ailments--aneurisms, valve disease, cardiomyopathy--are killing gorillas in American zoos. More than 40 percent of adult gorilla deaths are from heart disease, the Washington Post has reported.
It's not the same disease in both primates. Veterinarian Suzan Murray told United Press International that heart disease in gorillas is different from heart disease in humans. Gorillas develop a hardening of the heart muscle, called fibrosing cardiomyopathy, that has few symptoms.
"We've seen over the past 20, 30 years that as these big silverbacks get older, they have heart problems," Dr. Mark Stetter, director of animal health for Disney's Animal Programs, told the Orlando Sentinel in a story about research underway at Disney's Animal Kingdom.
It's not the same disease in both primates. Veterinarian Suzan Murray told United Press International that heart disease in gorillas is different from heart disease in humans. Gorillas develop a hardening of the heart muscle, called fibrosing cardiomyopathy, that has few symptoms.
"We've seen over the past 20, 30 years that as these big silverbacks get older, they have heart problems," Dr. Mark Stetter, director of animal health for Disney's Animal Programs, told the Orlando Sentinel in a story about research underway at Disney's Animal Kingdom.
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